January 25, 2022: Day 19 – Exodus 22-25 and Psalm 6, 146
January 25, 2022The people of Israel are fully entrenched in their departure from Egypt and are making their way to the promised land, the land of Canaan. Along the way God give them commandments to follow which we find in the chapters that we read today. Chapter 22 speaks of protection of property and social responsibility. Chapter 23 gives us the laws of justice and mercy along with the Sabbath laws and then an explanation of an angel that goes before the Israelites to prepare the way for them. In 24 we have the covenant confirmed and it ends with Moses going up the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights. That should sound somewhat familiar with the Noah and the ark and his family and animals as they were subjected to rain for 40 days and nights.
We finally see the construction of the tabernacle and the ark and the table and the lampstand all of which was used to worship God and to carry the covenant tablets. How can you not think of Raiders of the lost Ark when you read this Scripture? The details that God gives us extraordinary and the ability of the Israelites to make these pieces in the details that are explained is equally extraordinary.
We then move on to our two psalms, each of which is unique. The first would be called a lament as the author asks God not to punish him any longer. “My soul is in anguish, how long, O Lord, how long?” Then at the end of this psalm, like in almost every psalm of lament, we see God answer the author so that he is able to say: “The Lord has heard my cry for mercy, the Lord accepts my prayer.” Something changed which allowed him to write this in confidence.
Psalm 146 is a typical psalm of praise, which is to be distinguished from a psalm of lament, they are on opposite ends of the spectrum. The word praise is used many times to mark the current understanding of the author in regards to his approach to God. It has to be all about praise.
Wasn’t it also 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness? It’s interesting how certain numbers are repeated throughout the Bible. I wonder if they had any particular meaning for the Israelites.
All the laws about property suggest that the people were dealing with a lot of conflict with one another. There may have also been much confusion about social responsibility. Important needs may have been unmet, otherwise why the need for the laws about this.
Exodus 23:18 “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice….” What sacrifice is this referring to? The wording, “My sacrifice”, seems to mean a sacrifice on God’s part but I don’t recall that having happened. Perhaps it is referring to the blood on the doorposts and lintels but that doesn’t seem to be a sacrifice. Is it about the lamb eaten at Passover? If that was a sacrifice it would have been a sacrifice to God, not a sacrifice on His part.
The laws follow the giving of the 10 Commandments, without a break or change of speaker. It gives the impression that they were all given to Moses while he was still on the mountain. Exodus 24:3 “…Moses recounted to the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances….”
Exodus has Moses on Mt. Sinai twice:
1. When he is told the 10 Commandments and the other laws.
2. After he tells the people what they are and they agree to follow them, he returns to the mountain and is given the tablet with the 10 Commandments.
Great questions and observations Caroline. Yes, 40 is seen constantly in the Bible. It is also the time that Elijah spends in the wilderness as well. 40 years is the time that the Israelites spent in the wilderness wandering also. Any sacrifice offered to the Lord was considered a sacrifice unto the Lord. So this applies to all sacrifices, not just the festival ones that are given in these verses. Yes, God gives Moses a whole series of commandments on Sinai, and not just the 10 that he brought down. Remember, Moses was on Sinai when they offered up the golden calf and he throws the first set of tablets down, so then he has to go back up to get another set.